Obituary -
John W. Hayes was born in Granville County,
North Carolina, September 8, 1824
and departed this life December 12, 1910,
aged 86 years, 3 months and 4 days.
Mr. Hayes parents died when he was less than
one year old. At the age of 14
years he became dissatisfied with his surroundings
and started west. After
weeks of hardships and privations, he arrived
in Dickson County, Tennessee,
penniless and almost friendless. Here
he works at whatever his hands found to
do.
He was united in marriage with Susannah McCaslin,
December 31, 1843. To this
union ten children were born, three of whom,
Mrss James W. Casey, J. W. Jr.,
and Louis F., are now living.
After the death of his first wife, he married
Caroline Casey Prater. To this
union ten children were born, two of whom,
Thomas J. and Samuel M., are now
living.
Mr. Hayes was the father of 18 children, several
of which died in infancy. He
was the grandfather of 54 children and the
great grandfather of 44 children.
About the year 1847 he, with his wife and two
children, moved from Tennessee
to Texas. After a short residence there
both children died. Almost heart
broken, they returned to Tennessee, traveling
for days at a time without
seeing a white person. After residing a couple
of years in Dickson County, Tennessee, on their return from Texas, they
moved to Illinois, settling in Montgomery County, moving to
Fayette County in a short time thereafter,
where he resided until his death.
In 1861 he united with the Primitive Baptist
church and lived a faithful
christian life, and remarked a few days before
he died, to a member of his
family, "That death was sweet."
Funeral services were held from his late residence
Wednesday afternoon,
conducted by Rev. Vandiver of Iola, after
which his remains were carried to
the last resting place in the family graveyard,
followed by a large concourse
of sorrowing relatives and friends.
CARD OF THANKS
We desire to extend our sincere thanks to the
many friends for their
assistance and sympathy during the sickness,
death and burial of our dear
husband and father. Mrs. J. W. Hayes and children.